Deion Sanders questions Colorado's delay in Bill McCartney statue: 'Why we waiting?'

On Saturday, Colorado honored Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter by retiring their jersey numbers at the Buffaloes’ annual spring game. However, they aren’t the only Colorado legends head coach Deion Sanders wants to celebrate. After the team’s spring game, Sanders revealed he plans to honor former Colorado head coach Bill McCartney, as well.

“I’m gonna honor him as well. His swag, the hat he wore, the jacket he wore, I started to wear today, but I wanted to kind of save it for the first game,” Sanders said. “So his swag, I’m gonna try to recreate that and rock that for our first game.

“I’m trying not to get in trouble with what I’m about to say… Why we waiting, man? Why [do] we wait? Wouldn’t we have wanted him to see? To be involved in it, to feel it, to feel the love, the respect, the appreciation? Why [do] we wait? See, that’s kind of junk that you guys got to run with. Say something about that. He can’t enjoy that right now.”

Colorado football announced it is erecting a statue this fall to commemorate McCarthy’s life and career outside Folsom Field. The statue will stand along the Buff Walk on the east side of the stadium and will be unveiled before a home football game later this year. The game hasn’t been revealed yet.

The program has been working on getting the statue built for two years. It will stand 8.5 feet tall and consist of a bronze statue on a granite base. It will only be the second statue outside Folsom Field in the venue’s 101-year history.

However, it couldn’t go to anybody more deserving. McCartney is Colorado football’s all-time winningest head coach. During his time at the helm of the program, he compiled a 93–55–5 record, won three consecutive Big Eight Conference titles and led the Buffaloes to their only claimed national title in program history in 1990.

Unfortunately, McCartney won’t have a chance to see the statue for himself. The legendary head coach died from complications with dementia in January. On Saturday, Deion Sanders questioned why the school didn’t build the statue sooner.

“We gotta die to get recognized?” Sanders said. “Ain’t nobody said nothing in the church right now. Everybody got something to say otherwise. Give people [their] flowers while they can enjoy them and they can smell them. That’s how I get down.

“You guys are doing a good job, I always tell you, you guys are doing a good job right now. I don’t wait. I’m not built like that.”